Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center

 paints a marginal (Level 1 of 5) risk for severe storms Wednesday from the Twin Cities area north to the Canadian border (image above).

Overall storm coverage will be limited, but a few cells could approach severe limits Wednesday afternoon. 

NOAA’s FV3 model shows spotty blips on the screen that represent isolated storm coverage around Minnesota between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday. 

So most of Minnesota will stay dry Wednesday, but there could be some local downpours under stronger but isolated cells. 

Meteorologists call storms that are likely to develop Wednesday air mass thunderstorms. 

That’s what you get when you have plenty of heat and humidity to boil up convection currents in a steamy summer atmosphere. But because there is no clear focusing mechanism like a strong cold front, storms can boil up randomly around Minnesota. 

And we have enough heat and humidity Wednesday. Check out dew point values around Minnesota, including the steamy 70s across southern and western Minnesota. 

Highs will approach 90 degrees again in parts of Minnesota Thursday.

A cooler weather pattern will deliver highs in the 70s and lower 80s by the weekend into early next week. 

A few forecast models suggest we’ll see better chances for rainfall across Minnesota in the next 10 days.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Heat and humidity will spark isolated storm coverage Wednesday. 

Steamy with isolated thunderstorms Wednesday

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